The government took a decision in principle to include names of 1,222 people in the martyred intellectuals list.

The liberation war affairs ministry committee after its maiden meeting today also decided that it would set a definition of martyred intellectuals who were brutally killed by the Pakistan army and their local collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War in the next meeting.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on November 19 formed an 11-member committee comprising of freedom fighters, liberation war researchers, and government officials to make and scrutinise the list.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said the committee will finalise a definition of martyred intellectuals in its next meeting likely to be held in January.

He said that the committee approved 1,222 names for the primary list.

"A total of 1070 names will be taken from names available with the ministry and 152 from postal stamps issued in the name of martyred intellectuals in different times," he added.

Mozammel said they are expecting to complete the list within next year when Bangladesh will celebrate 50 years of independence.

The committee will consider martyred intellectuals eligible for the list who were killed between March 25, 1971 and January 31, 1972.